Frank Sinatra - The Early Years Collection (It Happened in Brooklyn / Step Lively / The Kissing Bandit / Double Dynamite / Higher and Higher)
starring: Michèle Morgan, Jack Haley, Frank Sinatra, Leon Errol, Marcy McGuire
directed by: Irving Cummings, Laslo Benedek, Richard Whorf, Tim Whelan
directed by: Irving Cummings, Laslo Benedek, Richard Whorf, Tim Whelan
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Product Description:
Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 05/13/2008Rating: Nr
Amazon.com:
The young, skinny Frank Sinatra was a big-band singer and the heartthrob of the bobby-soxers when he launched his movie career--a moment in time memorably captured by Frank Sinatra: The Early Years Collection. Five movies take the gangly kid from Hoboken through his hesitant first forays into the Hollywood game; everything here is in the minor-but-tuneful category, before he re-launched his career with From Here to Eternity. It's a fun set for Sinatra fans, not so essential for the casual viewer (and no extra features for vintage-movie mavens). Frankie's first feature, in 1943, was Higher and Higher, in which he plays--hmm--a young singer named Frank Sinatra. All right, it's not much of a stretch, but the kid fits quite comfortably into a madcap ensemble that includes Jack Haley, Mary Wickes, Dooley Wilson, and a youthful (practically unformed) Mel Torme. This is the kind of wacky universe in which a scullery maid has a French accent (it's Michele Morgan) and a British nobleman has a Danish accent (it's piano comedian Victor Borge). The film is completely insane, but fun.Step Lively (1944) has the same director, Tim Whelan, and a similarly over-heated farce in play: a theatrical producer (obnoxious George Murphy) tries to whip together a show while dodging hotel managers (Adolphe Menjou, deadpan Walter Slezak). Frankie's in there as a playwright who also sings. It's a version of the Broadway play that also served the Marx Brothers in Room Service, but the whole thing is really too labored to pay off. It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) doesn't offer much in the way of substance (Sinatra is a WWII vet returning to his beloved, but now less friendly, Brooklyn), but at least Frank is teamed with Jimmy Durante. Oh, and Kathryn Grayson and Gloria Grahame are in there too, even if the real love match is Sinatra and Durante singing together. Tunes are by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, including "Time After Time."
1948's The Kissing Bandit became for Sinatra what The Silver Chalice would be for Paul Newman: a source of self-mockery in later years. A truly bizarre concoction about the son of a Zorro-like bandit settling in Boston, the film has one specialty number featuring Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller, and Ricardo Montalban, and a lot of filler. Sinatra's career was sliding by the time Double Dynamite (1951) was released, and the movie did little to help. Frankie's a poor bank clerk who scores on a horse-racing bet but can't prove he didn't actually rob the bank. It isn't great, although Groucho Marx at least has one of his better solo roles, while Jane Russell is stuck in a dizzy-dame part (rather than her preferred sassy mode). For Sinatra, career resurgence would have to wait a while--this box set gives you the superstar-in-waiting. --Robert Horton
Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 05/13/2008Rating: Nr
Amazon.com:
The young, skinny Frank Sinatra was a big-band singer and the heartthrob of the bobby-soxers when he launched his movie career--a moment in time memorably captured by Frank Sinatra: The Early Years Collection. Five movies take the gangly kid from Hoboken through his hesitant first forays into the Hollywood game; everything here is in the minor-but-tuneful category, before he re-launched his career with From Here to Eternity. It's a fun set for Sinatra fans, not so essential for the casual viewer (and no extra features for vintage-movie mavens). Frankie's first feature, in 1943, was Higher and Higher, in which he plays--hmm--a young singer named Frank Sinatra. All right, it's not much of a stretch, but the kid fits quite comfortably into a madcap ensemble that includes Jack Haley, Mary Wickes, Dooley Wilson, and a youthful (practically unformed) Mel Torme. This is the kind of wacky universe in which a scullery maid has a French accent (it's Michele Morgan) and a British nobleman has a Danish accent (it's piano comedian Victor Borge). The film is completely insane, but fun.Step Lively (1944) has the same director, Tim Whelan, and a similarly over-heated farce in play: a theatrical producer (obnoxious George Murphy) tries to whip together a show while dodging hotel managers (Adolphe Menjou, deadpan Walter Slezak). Frankie's in there as a playwright who also sings. It's a version of the Broadway play that also served the Marx Brothers in Room Service, but the whole thing is really too labored to pay off. It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) doesn't offer much in the way of substance (Sinatra is a WWII vet returning to his beloved, but now less friendly, Brooklyn), but at least Frank is teamed with Jimmy Durante. Oh, and Kathryn Grayson and Gloria Grahame are in there too, even if the real love match is Sinatra and Durante singing together. Tunes are by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, including "Time After Time."
1948's The Kissing Bandit became for Sinatra what The Silver Chalice would be for Paul Newman: a source of self-mockery in later years. A truly bizarre concoction about the son of a Zorro-like bandit settling in Boston, the film has one specialty number featuring Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller, and Ricardo Montalban, and a lot of filler. Sinatra's career was sliding by the time Double Dynamite (1951) was released, and the movie did little to help. Frankie's a poor bank clerk who scores on a horse-racing bet but can't prove he didn't actually rob the bank. It isn't great, although Groucho Marx at least has one of his better solo roles, while Jane Russell is stuck in a dizzy-dame part (rather than her preferred sassy mode). For Sinatra, career resurgence would have to wait a while--this box set gives you the superstar-in-waiting. --Robert Horton
Related Items:
- Frank Sinatra - The Golden Years Collection (Some Came Running / The Man with the Golden Arm / The Tender Trap / None but the Brave / Marriage on the Rocks)
- The Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly Collection (On the Town / Anchors Aweigh / Take Me out to the Ball Game)
- The Carmen Miranda Collection (The Gang's All Here / If I'm Lucky / Something for the Boys / Greenwich Village / Doll Face)
- Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Vol. 3 (Hit the Deck/Deep in My Heart/Kismet/Nancy Goes to Rio/Two Weeks with Love/Broadway Melody of 1936/Broadway Melody of 1938/Born to Dance/Lady Be Good)
- Alice Faye Collection 2 (Rose of Washington Square/Hollywood Cavalcade/The Great American Broadcast/Hello, Frisco, Hello/Four Jills in a Jeep) (Full Chk Gift)
- see more
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - A GREAT BARGAIN!
Reviewer Coleen "Frankie-machine" did a good job of rating the films in this collection, except for "Higher and Higher" (based on the broadway hit), which in my opinion is this sets' best film.
Another reviewer says there are no chapter stops. That is not true. There ARE chapter stops about 10-12 minutes apart. However there are no scene selections, and that sucks! Discs however, are closed captioned.
[...]
Rating: - Very enjoyable
Although the movies were not quite what I expecting, I did enjoy them.I would recommend them to any classic movie fan.
Rating: 
- Frank Sinatra at his Singing Best
A great series of movies featuring Sinatra's romantic voice and shows why girls swooned so over him.I recommend all the movies.They contained lots of laughter and, of course, Sinatra's great singing voice!
Rating: - frank sinatra early years
i enjoyed it happen in Brooklyn best because i had seen it before and like it for many reasons
Rating: - Frank Sinatra the early years
Wated a long time to see this collection and I was not dissapointed!
The duo singing in It Happened in Brooklyn was better than I expected.Well done..
- A GREAT BARGAIN!Reviewer Coleen "Frankie-machine" did a good job of rating the films in this collection, except for "Higher and Higher" (based on the broadway hit), which in my opinion is this sets' best film.
Another reviewer says there are no chapter stops. That is not true. There ARE chapter stops about 10-12 minutes apart. However there are no scene selections, and that sucks! Discs however, are closed captioned.
[...]
- Very enjoyableAlthough the movies were not quite what I expecting, I did enjoy them.I would recommend them to any classic movie fan.
- Frank Sinatra at his Singing BestA great series of movies featuring Sinatra's romantic voice and shows why girls swooned so over him.I recommend all the movies.They contained lots of laughter and, of course, Sinatra's great singing voice!
- frank sinatra early yearsi enjoyed it happen in Brooklyn best because i had seen it before and like it for many reasons
- Frank Sinatra the early yearsWated a long time to see this collection and I was not dissapointed!
The duo singing in It Happened in Brooklyn was better than I expected.Well done..
